FOR members of the triumphant Gilas Pilipinas, it's time to rest for a while with tingling thoughts that they have done something special and have made the nation proud.
Early Sunday morning, the delegation arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 to a warm welcome from the SBP people led by executive director Sonny Barrios, teams from the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee, airport personnel and those everybody in the terminal who were all so electrified to see the Asiad champs.
From their road trip from Hangzhou to Shanghai to the long delayed flight to Manila, coach Tim Cone and the players were still too glad to see the welcoming team, accommodate photo-ops and grant interviews with the media.
From a supposed 4 p.m. Shanghai departure, the group eventually took off only at around 10 p.m. and hit Manila at around 1:30 a.m.
All were weary but still wore happy faces, with their Asiad gold medals safely inside their backpacks.
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Filipinos had longed for this glory for a long, long time.
"Six decades," Cone has said a number of times from shortly after ending the chase in their 70-60 conquest of Jordan in men's basketball final of the Hangzhou Asiad Friday night.
"Gold," one word team manager Alfrancis Chua proudly blurted out.
PBA commissioner Willie Marcial, who served as assistant team manager, was just as proud as everybody for the accomplishment nailed by the hastily formed team composed of 10 PBA regular players, Ginebra resident import Justin Brownlee and former Ateneo stalwart Ange Kouame.
Part of their sacrifice is a brief rest before rejoining their peers and foes in the inaugurals of PBA Season 48 on Nov. 5 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
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Having served extended duty with the Nationals in the last few months wer June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, Scottie Thompson, CJ Perez and Chris Newsome -- players who were of the Gilas pool from Day 1 of preparation for the FIBA World Cup.
Each one has been saying the journey is all worth it.
They're in a bunch that reached the ultimate destination in the quadrennial Asian Games, ending a gold-medal drought of 61 years for a nation crazy about basketball.
From now to the next Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan in 2026, the Philippines reigns as Asiad basketball champs.
And home now are the champs! (SB)
